OXNARD — The Port of Hueneme and City of Port Hueneme joined Reel Guppy founder, Kevin Brannon, to celebrate the two-year anniversary of the Reel Guppy Dockside Learning Center — an amazing addition to the local coastal community. Dedicated to connecting local youth with education and fishing experiences, Reel Guppy was thrilled to celebrate their success alongside community members, partners, and program participants.
SANTA BARBARA — The Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara honored City Net as their Outstanding Community Partner of the Year. The Housing Authority created its annual partner award as a way of recognizing and thanking organizations and businesses that help change lives for the better. The supportive services provided to clients through a collaboration with City Net are an essential part of the Housing Authority’s holistic service delivery approach. Founded in 2005 in Long Beach, California, their mission is based on a commitment to break the cycle of homelessness in the communities they serve by connecting neighbors experiencing homelessness to transformative care and innovative housing solutions.
IN-PERSON EVENT: SCORE VENTURA COUNTY: STARTUP BASICS: FUNDAMENTALS OF STARTING A NEW BUSINESS
April 17 @ 8:30 am
Have you ever dreamed of owning your own business but don’t know where to start? Do you have the passion and work ethic but need education and guidance? Being a small business owner is exciting but understanding the lifestyle will clarify if it is right for you. Join SCORE Ventura County in this informative workshop and learn what it takes to be a successful business owner. Address: Thousand Oaks City Hall, 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd, Thousand Oaks.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
OXNARD — Oxnard College and the Oxnard College Foundation are partnering with researchers at California Lutheran University (CLU) and the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) to host an event on April 17, 2024, marking the publication of the annual U.S. Latino GDP Report. The report documents the economic contributions of the Latino community throughout the United States and identifies Latinos as major drivers of the pandemic recovery. The event will also feature never before released estimates of California’s Latino GDP.
View this email online Hope Village Ribbon Cutting in Santa Maria The County of Santa Barbara hosted the grand opening of Hope Village, an interim, supportive housing community in Santa Maria, CA. This project provides safe housing for unhoused individuals,…
The Grand Jury is an independent panel of 19 Ventura County citizens who serve for one fiscal year, from July to June. Near the end of its term, the Civil Grand Jury files a report of its findings and recommendations with the superior court presiding judge. Afterward, the report is available to the public.
SBA: HOW TO DO BUSINESS WITH US DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
April 9 @ 10:00 am
Driving Growth and Maximizing your potential. Learn from the Director of the Department of the Treasury / Office of Small & Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) on how to access the Federal Contracting.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
… The report starkly reveals the wage disparity. In 2023, “the mean hourly wage for farmworkers in Santa Barbara County was just $17.42 or $36,244 annually.” This is compared to heavy truck drivers, who received a median hourly wage of $26.76, translating to an annual wage of $55,672. At the same time, construction laborers earned a median hourly wage of $25.04, resulting in an annual wage of $52,104, according to the California Employment Development Department.
“In recent years, the increase in rent has been an issue that has affected me and my family. A better salary would give me access to better housing conditions and would also help me pay my rent, which continues to increase. A raise would also give me access to healthier meals for my family, and help us reap the rewards of my work,” said Matilde, Farmworker Leader with Alianza Campesina.
VENTURA — Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG), the nonprofit that organizes Santa Barbara County Farm Day and Ventura County Farm Day, is looking for farmers, agricultural-related businesses, and others to become event sponsors and participants. The 2024 Santa Barbara County Farm Day will be on August 24, while Ventura County Farm Day will be on November 2.
“Farm Day has grown to become the largest community agricultural education and outreach program in California,” says Mary Maranville, SEEAG’s founder and CEO. “Over 15,000 people visit our agricultural venues during our two Farm Days.”
VENTURA — Results from the 2023 Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies vessel speed reduction (VSR) program show it reduced coastal California air pollution, risk to whales and ocean noise.
Participating companies reduced ship speeds off California, transiting at 10 knots or less in the San Francisco and Monterey Bay region and the Southern California region, including Ventura County. The voluntary incentive-based program ran from May 1 through December 15 with 33 global shipping companies participating.
“The importance of ensuring our law enforcement and public safety entities in Ventura County have access to high-quality, reliable communications equipment cannot be overstated,” said Congresswoman Julia Brownley. “Not only will this state-of-the-art communication system facilitate better communication and coordination between agencies, but all of our cities and residents will benefit from streamlined services that will lower costs and redundancies. …
The upcoming Santa Paula Beautiful Day presents a chance for residents of all ages to make a meaningful impact. From 9:00 am to 12:00 pm, volunteers will have the opportunity to participate in various beautification projects throughout Santa Paula. Whether it’s cleaning up popular bike trails, sprucing up neighborhood parks, touching up city landmarks, or helping maintain downtown Santa Paula, every volunteer effort counts towards creating a cleaner, more vibrant community for all.
EN ESPAÑOL: SBA: ACCESO AL CAPITAL – MICROCREDITOS
2 de abril a las 4:00 pm
Tiene su plan de negocios escrito, ha elegido el tipo de entidad legal bajo el cual operará y tiene un Número de Identificación del Contribuyente. Ya está en sus marcas, y ahora quiere estar listo para encontrar financiación. En este taller el SBA va a repasar préstamos para pequeños negocios respaldados por La Agencia Federal de Pequenos Negocios.
HAGA CLIC AQUÍ PARA INSCRIBIRSE
“California is the most biodiverse state in the nation,” said Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin. “Ensuring that 30×30 planning incorporates wildlife corridors will preserve habitats by increasing connectivity and prioritizing habitat continuity to protect our state’s unique wildlife.”
VENTURA COUNTY — Ventura County Clerk-Recorder & Registrar of Voters Michelle Ascencion announced today the official election results certification for the March 5, 2024 Presidential Primary Election. A total of 196,415 ballots were cast in this Statewide Direct Primary election: 89.84% of voters cast vote-by-mail ballots and 10.16% voted in person, resulting in a 38.51% voter turnout in Ventura County.
Donating the Fire District’s surplus heavy-duty utility truck to the Simi Valley Police Department (SVPD) will provide them with the ability to carry needed equipment to the scene of an emergency safely and expeditiously and is an effective use of County and Simi Valley Police Department resources.
Our community’s collective heart breaks every time we hear of yet another death of an inmate in custody. Moreover, delays in medical care have caused costly delays in booking inmates, taxing our law enforcement resources. The Board of Supervisors has recently voted to establish the Jail Health Monitoring Unit under the Public Health Department to ensure County health experts are a part of the medical policy-making and quality assurance.
VENTURA — On Tuesday, March 26, during the regular Board of Supervisors meeting, the County of Ventura honored 27 employees for decades of continuous service across county agencies. The quarterly awards are part of the County of Ventura’s Employee Continuous Service Recognition Program which honors staff who have reached career milestones with 25 years or more of service to the residents of Ventura County.
VENTURA — The Ventura Port District (District) Board of Port Commissioners (Board) are pleased to announce that a funding agreement has been signed with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) to receive a grant of $200,000 for the improvements of restrooms and shower facilities at Harbor Cove Beach, Surfers Knoll Beach, and the District’s public launch ramp.
This grant is the second awarded to the District by NFWF under the “Refugio Beach Oil Spill Settlement: South Coast Shoreline Parks and Outdoor Recreation Grants Program” (Program), the first of which was a grant of $93,301 provided in 2022. Those funds were fully expended to improve beach accessibility, install three new light poles for Harbor Cove Beach parking lot, and the purchase of public safety communications equipment.
The California Labor Market Information Division released its February 2024 report on Friday, showing a very slight improvement in the unemployment rate, from 5.2% in January to 5.1% in February. Job creation was also only moderately changed, with an increase by 1,800 payroll jobs, concentrated in only a few sectors, primarily Private Education & Health Services, Leisure & Hospitality and in several categories of Government service.
Ventura County is home to three military bases located within 8 miles of each other, namely the Channel Islands Air National Guard Station with 12,000 ppt, the Naval Construction Battalion Center Port Hueneme with 1,080,000 ppt, and Point Mugu Naval Air Station with 46,343 ppt PFAS detected in their soil and groundwater.
SANTA BARBARA — The Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara will honor 17 graduates who have completed the organization’s Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program with a ceremony and dinner.
36-year-old Cindy Abrajan, who has lived in Santa Barbara her whole life, is one of the FSS graduates and is grateful for the support she has received with her financial and career goals.
“The annual dredging project not only facilitates safer maritime navigation in the Ventura Harbor but is essential to maintain the economic vitality of commercial fishing, recreational boating, tourism, and all of our waterfront business partners,” shares Brian Pendleton, Ventura Port District General Manager.
CAMARILLO — The Ventura County Fire Department, in collaboration with the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District (APCD), will carry out a planned burning operation within the Sisar fuel break in Upper Ojai through April 12th. The goal of prescribed fire burning is to strategically and safely decrease dangerous fuel amounts to lower the risk of future wildland fires. In this case, piles of vegetation were cut and will be burned to create a buffer zone that will help protect the nearby community from the threat of wildfires.
IN-PERSON EVENT: SCORE VENTURA COUNTY: FOUR KEY MARKETING STRATEGIES TO ATTRACT MORE CUSTOMERS
March 27 @ 8:30 am
In this workshop you’ll learn SCORE’s top 4 strategies that can impact your Google ranking, including the importance of having your business show up in local search results and how you can leverage online reviews to attract more customers. SCORE will also show you ways you can use different types of paid ad strategies to get in front of more of your targeted customers. Lastly, they will touch on using social media to build your brand and create a more personalized experience for your followers. You don’t want to miss this! Address: Ventura City Hall, Community Meeting Room 202, Second Floor, 501 Poli St Ventura, CA.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
VENTURA COUNTY — The Ventura County Office of Education is pleased to announce that a Ventura County team won first place in the 2024 California Mock Trial Finals that were held over the weekend in Los Angeles. Trinity Pacific Christian School in Thousand Oaks was named the 2024 California Mock Trial Finals Champions after the competition that included schools from throughout the state.
This is the second time in three years that Trinity Pacific has come in first at the state level. They last won the state competition in 2021 when it was held virtually due to the pandemic. The Trinity Pacific team (pictured) will now advance to the National Mock Trial competition to be held from May 2 – 5 in Wilmington, Delaware.
LOMPOC — Reconnect with your besties and embark on the ultimate Girls’ getaway to Lompoc, California. From a leisurely breakfast to heart-pounding adventures and serene spa sessions, this itinerary promises a day of joy, laughter, and unforgettable moments.
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Lea en español | Received this from a friend? Subscribe! eNewsletter | March 2024 Last month we celebrated the groundbreaking of Cleaver & Clark Commons – new affordable housing coming to the City of Grover Beach! This development will bring 53 new,…
CAMARILLO — As part of the Ventura County Fire Department’s initiative to modernize Fire Station 29 in Santa Paula, the personnel and equipment currently stationed at the Tenth Street location will be relocated to a temporary facility one block east on East Main Street. This transition to the temporary station will occur on Friday, March 22, 2024, at noon. The fire crews will operate from this temporary location until the construction of the new fire station is completed.
VENTURA — A public hearing, as provided by law, will be held by the Ventura County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, at 3:00 p.m., at 800 S. Victoria Avenue, Ventura CA 93009, County Government Center, Hall of Administration, Board of Supervisors Hearing Room, to consider and decide the Planning Director’s request for revocation of Conditional Use Permit (CUP) No. 960, as modified by LU06-0011, that authorizes a wastewater treatment facility, commonly known as Santa Clara Wastewater (SCWW) Treatment Facility or also as “RI-NU,” Case No. PL23-0121. The Board will consider the related California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) determination for the project at this hearing.
WESTLAKE VILLAGE — At a March 18 meeting, the Triunfo Water & Sanitation District (TWSD) board of directors selected Carl Jarecky to fill a board vacancy created when Director Janna Orkney resigned on January 29. Jarecky will serve for the remainder of the current term and will run for election at the end of this year.
Jarecky was one of five residents who applied for the board position. All five were interviewed during the March 18 meeting and once selected, Jarecky was sworn in.
SANTA PAULA — The Santa Paula Police Department was awarded a $65,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS). The grant will support our ongoing enforcement and education programs to help reduce the number of serious injuries and deaths on our roads.
“This funding will strengthen our commitment to public safety in our community,” Police Chief Don Aguilar said. “We will be able to increase our efforts in making our roads safer for everyone and focus on critical areas such as distracted driving, impaired driving and speeding.”
A Santa Barbara native, the first in her family to go to college, a tour guide during her UCSB days, and a 20-plus-year veteran of the admissions office, Acosta is an expert in her field.
“The safety of our residents that use this route is our top priority, and I’m grateful to the Public Works Agency for their fast action in assessing the situation and quickly securing a contract to address these much-needed repairs,” said Supervisor Kelly Long. “Having one lane available on the bridge heading east will provide a protected and convenient route into town for residents of west Fillmore. While this construction is underway, please remember to drive safely and be alert in work zone areas.”
SBA: WOMEN OWNED SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM WORKSHOP
March 20 @ 10:00 am
Join the Small Business Administration (SBA) Los Angeles District Office for a virtual workshop to increase your potential for federal contract opportunities through the WOSB program certifications. This virtual workshop is targeted to small businesses located in the SBA Los Angeles District Office service area — Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
The Economic Development Collaborative would like to recognize Women’s History Month. Since 2010 the EDC has counseled over 3,000 women owned businesses and has helped generate over $22 billion in revenue. The EDC is dedicated in supporting women with achieving their business goals.
The EDC is proud to support the community by providing professional technical assistance in English and Spanish through our Small Business Development Center. Our NO-COST advising areas include:
Start-up Guidance
Marketing & Branding
International Trade
E-commerce & Social Media
Manufacturing Assistance
Legal Compliance
Strategic Planning
QuickBooks & Accounting
And MORE
People’s Place, located at 714 West Harvard Boulevard in Santa Paula, is a new construction development of 68 one-, two- and three-bedroom units, which will serve families and farmworker households earning 30-60% of the area median income. Eligibility is based on income requirements, occupancy limits, and other property-specific criteria. Section 8 vouchers are welcomed.
In December, the Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to take the first step by adopting the Housing Element Update, which contains over 30 programs and policies designed to create more housing opportunities. Some of them include:
Work to develop a local preference program so that those who live and work here have first priority for new housing
Requiring affordable housing in new rental projects
Creating housing for farmworkers and other local employees
Increasing housing and emergency shelters for the homeless
“Robert has a strong track record with community engagement and streamlining permitting processes, making him the ideal candidate for the role,” said Dr. Sevet Johnson, County Executive Officer. “His experience working up and down the Central Coast will lend the expertise necessary to navigate complex land use issues in our region and his deep knowledge of planning and development in our state will support our residents and the best interests of our county.”
“With the approval of the 2029 Housing Element, Santa Paula reaffirms its commitment to inclusive, purposeful growth,” said Mayor Leslie Cornejo. “We understand that a thriving community is one where every resident has access to safe, affordable housing, and we’re taking meaningful steps toward that goal. The additional housing provided by these developments will not only meet the needs of our growing work force but also contribute significantly to the city’s economic vitality by attracting new residents and businesses.”
“We are taking our lead directly from the Advisory Council as they know, better than anyone, what their specific needs are,” said Richard Weston-Smith, COO of One805. “It is also important to note that many items are shared across the various organizations in Santa Barbara County. Mental health support is another critical category of support that helps to ensure that we are taking care of those who take care of us,” said Weston Smith.
The plight of each of our unhoused neighbors is complicated,” stated 2ndDistrict Supervisor Jeff Gorell. “It requires an all-hands-on-deck approach. That’s what we are doing in the County of Ventura through the bold actions from the Board of Supervisors and recently adopted initiatives through the Strategic Plan Priority to Address Homelessness and lift up the most vulnerable.”
VENTURA — The Ventura County Air Pollution Control District is distributing $4.57 million to help replace diesel tractors, loaders and other equipment on farms, ranches and wholesale nurseries with lower-emission versions.
Replacement of the 59 pieces of equipment is projected to reduce emissions annually by 713 metric tons of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, 34 tons of ozone precursors and 2.4 tons of diesel particulate matter. The district received more than 200 requests for grants and selected the most cost-effective projects in terms of dollars per ton of reduced air pollutants.
VENTURA — Responsible for managing SB 1383 compliance on behalf of unincorporated Ventura County, the Ventura County Public Works Agency (VCPWA) has contracted with Abound Food Care, an Orange County-based food recovery organization, to implement a regional food recovery program on behalf of the County of Ventura and the cities of Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, Ojai, Oxnard, Santa Paula, Simi Valley and Ventura. In addition to compliance management, VCPWA is also responsible for preparing countywide capacity studies and supporting the area with regionally beneficial programs such as edible food recovery.
California State Senate Bill SB 1383 was passed to address food insecurity and reduce unnecessary food waste, and requires, by 2025, that California recover at least 20% of edible food that would have otherwise been sent to landfills.
The California Labor Market Information Division released its January 2024 report on Friday, delayed as usual at the start of the year for the state’s annual recalibration or revision of the data. The purpose of the annual revision is to better assure alignment of the monthly data with on-going changes in the economy and labor markets. The result can be a bit of discontinuity to what we’ve been seeing in the prior months, particularly in the industry employment data (more on that below).
The acquisition underscores the Art and Design Collection’s status as a premier resource for the study of the built environment in Southern California from the late 19th century to the present day.
SANTA PAULA — Santa Paula Police Department announces they have been awarded a $28,108 grant from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) to reduce alcohol-related harm in their community.
The funds will be used to help prevent alcoholic beverage sales to minors and obviously intoxicated patrons, illegal solicitations of alcohol, and other criminal activities such as the sale and possession of illegal drugs. “This is important to Santa Paula in order to increase protection for youth and to address crime at problem locations,” said Chief of Police Don Aguilar.
SBA: DOING BUSINESS WITH THE US DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
March 13 @ 11:00 am
Join SBA as they discuss Federal Contracting Set-aside with the US Department of the Army – (US ARMY). Attend to learn about OSDBU’s role and how it can benefit your business, how to effectively position your business for federal contracting opportunities and explore key resources and tools available to support your business growth in the federal marketplace.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
